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halfnormalform

209 karma · joined November 5, 2019

It's a good thing SAP software is complicated or I'd be starving right now.
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halfnormalform··on A forgotten social media post may hold key clues to Covid-19's origin
Perhaps the virus evolved to be more deadly after the initial wave of “flu”?
halfnormalform··on 'We mould trees to grow into the shape of chairs'
In Northern California there’s a small amusement park that has several of these. Haven’t been, but it’s on my list. https://www.gilroygardens.org/circus-trees/
halfnormalform··on [dead]
It doesn’t seem that leftist to me. Are you a shrink? Or are you using some kind of folk diagnosis to determine she’s mentally unwell?

What kind of ideology strips individuals of the right of self determination to live and be called whatever they want? That’s what most civilized people call extreme.

Can you give an example of “valid” scare quotes? Or a definition even?

halfnormalform··on EVs are depreciating faster than gas-powered cars
My data point: old Kona Electric vs new Ioniq 6. Acceleration is faster, but not twice as fast. It does charge 40-50% faster though, and that is life-changing. Not twice the range but 360 mi vs 220 mi is a huge improvement. More than twice as comfortable, and that’s switching from the top of the line to the base model. Mostly due to better climate controls and a huge amount of legroom. Both have 5 star Euro NCAP scores. But now the lane keep assist now works at any speed and there are more warnings about cars and other obstacles, so there’s a safety improvement. And it’s not twice the price: the MSRP was cheaper!
halfnormalform··on Tesla shows no sign of improvement in May sales data
It has come full circle. Now I see a Tesla supercharger full of 95% identical vehicles and think they are too homogeneous.
halfnormalform··on An image of an archeologist adventurer who wears a hat and uses a bullwhip
The carpenter can sell the design of the chair.
halfnormalform··on A university president makes a case against cowardice
The fact that very bad things happened to the Disappeared of Argentina makes me more concerned about the Disappeared of US, not less.
halfnormalform··on Basic Mechanisms In Fire Control Computers (1953) [video]
Jam Handy films were amazing. You could show this to an audience who was morally opposed to learning about differentials and they’d still learn about differentials.
halfnormalform··on Ask HN: Are you still using your Vision Pro?
Yes! At least once a week. Mostly to try out new apps and immersive content. I’ve taken it on a couple trips to capture immersive video, but never in public spaces, because that would be weird and I don’t want to be mugged.
halfnormalform··on Recreating the Flying Toasters screen saver for the Vision Pro
The small floppy disks were still floppy disks. Thick plastic does not make a hard disc!
halfnormalform··on Receive push notifications from your rice cooker
The Zojirushi 3 cup induction is the highest scoring rice cooker tested by Consumers Union. It was expensive but it makes excellent rice and you don’t have to be precise with the water. I hope to have it for the rest of my life.
halfnormalform··on Florida men scammed more than $1M out of Uber Eats
Costco always sells discounted gift cards (in the US).
halfnormalform··on Schools for children of military achieve results rarely seen in public education
The feedback loop in education is several years long. Before a charter school develops a bad reputation, they just change their name, put up a banner declaring "Under New Management" and continue right along with better PR.
halfnormalform··on [dead]
Oddly enough, the phrase "serial monogamy" describes the same exact thing! https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/serial_monogamy
halfnormalform··on Feuding twin sisters popularized the American advice column
A thought-provoking discussion, every morning.
halfnormalform··on Charter schools, social norming and zero-sum games (2010)
The promise of future pensions can't be used to pay bills, though. The teacher still has to survive in the world using the dollars that show up on their paycheck today.
halfnormalform··on Names should be as short as possible while still being clear
The latter is probably a better name if there are other functions involving "ownership" (give_ownership, split_ownership, etc.), but otherwise you're right.
halfnormalform··on Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)
It's sometimes just called "popcorn salt" and it's exactly as you describe. (And it can also be made at home from regular table salt with a food processor or mortar & pestle.)
halfnormalform··on Flush with rain, CA plans to replenish depleted groundwater with floodwaters
It's exactly like putting toothpaste back in the tube, you inject it.
halfnormalform··on Automated shusher keeps conference loudmouths in line
On the Log Ride at Knott's Berry Farm they have infrared light beams above the log flume that trigger a loud pre-recorded "Sit down!" message if you raise your hands up too high.

It was so much fun in Jr High to try and set them all off.

halfnormalform··on GM plans to phase out Apple CarPlay in EVs, with Google's help
Agreed. There is no way I would consider one without CarPlay. It has become too much a part of the driving experience.
halfnormalform··on Home Prices Fell in February for First Time in 11 Years
Gas prices were unusually low during the 1990's and that's when the SUV exploded in popularity. Look at an inflation-adjusted chart and you'll see a big dip between 1990 and the early 2000s.

Source: https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/fact-915-march-7-2016-a...

halfnormalform··on How TikTok Broke the Ad Business
Unless they're in withdrawal.
halfnormalform··on Banking in uncertain times
In order to refute your thesis, we have to explain why your imaginary situation is not superior to reality? How about it's completely made up?
halfnormalform··on Evidence of a predictive coding hierarchy in the human brain listening to speech
The interesting part to me (total outsider looking in) isn't a hierarchy as much as what they say is different at each level. Each "higher" level is "thinking" about a future of longer and longer length and with more meaning drawn from semantic content (vs. syntactic content) than the ones "below" it. The "lower" levels "think" on very short terms and focus on syntax.
halfnormalform··on Smartphones and social media are destroying children’s mental health
Smoking also has a strong social component. Smokers socialize around the ashcan. It's fun and exciting to catch up with the other smokers in your building or at your work.

It does become a vile sludge, you're not wrong about that.

halfnormalform··on Slightly Intelligent Home
The solution is to have motion control an ambient light in the bathroom but not the main light. Use a (smart) switch to control the main light and use it when you're going to be there a while. Set up the system not to turn off the ambient light when the main light is on, no matter how much time passes.

This way you get the convenience of hands-free when you're just washing your hands or something, but you have all the light you want--for a bubble bath--or whatever.

There is still the problem of sometimes forgetting to turn the switch off, but since it's smart, it's easy for Siri to turn it off when you go to bed, etc.

halfnormalform··on Slightly Intelligent Home
Can attest Blue Pure 211+ remembers its speed after being power cycled. And no smart features whatsoever.
halfnormalform··on Nobody needs a faster dishwasher – solve real user needs
They're indestructible--until they explode into hundreds of glass pieces when you stack a very hot one from the dishwasher on a room-temp one on the shelf.
halfnormalform··on I saw RealPage's crappy rent-jacking-up software so you don't have to
A network of illegal subletting.
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